<p>Hi I am looking to major in Computer Science and right now I am basically looking at two SUNY choices: SUNY Stony Brook and SUNY UB (I am from buffalo and can easily commute to UB)</p>
<p>I am pretty sure SUNY Stony Brook has a better program but is it worth spending the extra 10k on living expenses in Stony Brook (dorm,etc/"college experience")? </p>
<p>I did some research on both schools...both are kind of equal (SB being better at CS) so I thought I would go to SB..I was excited to live on my own but I read some reviews and in terms of education Stony Brook seems better but!! everyone had only bad things to say about everything else (basically lots of potheads, terrible campus, lots of creeps and stalkers, and terrible dorm life/social life,etc)...so now im totally confused because i would not want to live by myself in a place like that..</p>
<p>soooo.yeahhh...if anyone has anything to say about me being stupid for believing internet reviews or anything interesting about UB or Stony Brook, I would be very grateful!!</p>
<p>umm yea, I live 5 minutes from SUNY SB and I can confirm that this is the WORST place to go to college.
Yes, you’re 5 minutes away from a beach when the weather get’s really nice, and the surrounding residential area is beautiful. but as far as being a college student, I can imagine it sucks. NO nightlife, nothing. very lame town if you ask me</p>
<p>From what I heard UB is better for Comp sci (though I didn’t check rankings) as SB is so well known for sciences. Overall, I don’t think it much matters.</p>
<p>We live about 15 minutes from SB. It is a very suburban area. A large mall nearby, tons of restaurants, etc. The small town within walking distance is not a great college town. </p>
<p>There are lot of negative reviews of SB. You are correct. However, of all the kids I know locally, though most commute, they all like it. They are your regular kids. One lives on campus as he lives about 40 minutes away and has not had any issues. Was tripled but one of the roommates moved out. None of them are considering transferring out.</p>
<p>I think you should visit.
My son and husband flew up to Buffalo to look (and liked it). For convenience, they flew Southwest from Long Island (Islip) with a layover in Baltimore then to Buffalo. The layover each way was very short. The convenience of not having to fly into a crowded airport (JFK or LGA) was worth it as was landing further out on the Island. </p>
<p>Are you a senior now?</p>
<p>What do you know about UB? I hear they are tripling freshmen too.</p>
<p>…40g is not worth a “college experience” (which seems to be bad at SB) but for me the combination of a better education and a chance to live by myself could be worth it…</p>
<p>I am NOT looking for a party school, but I would like a school with a nice social life(at least with some interesting clubs) UB seems to be okay with that, SB is below average </p>
<p>Im not going to pay a lot since theyre both SUNY schools but still…10g is a lot of money that could go to things like a trip to Europe…soooo</p>
<p>I am a senior
UB is a good school… its got a nice campus), i hear its very similar to SB…
I use to play basketball there all the time and I thought the people seemed pretty nice and normal
btw I got accepted to the Honors college at UB… though at SB I got accepted to the Computer Science Honors Program </p>
<p>if I go to UB I wont dorm since I live like 10min away but the dorms are pretty nice especially if your in the Honors College dorm</p>
<p>Well, as someone who actually goes to Stony Brook, I’ve got to totally disagree with the perception you’ve gotten of the social life here. Definitely not “below average” at all compared to the other schools I’ve spent time at. There are always parties Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, tons of interesting student groups, and plenty of things to do on weekends as well as during the week. The dorms aren’t palatial, but most schools’ aren’t; I really loved living on campus. Potheads–we have a few, but they haven’t taken over the campus or anything, and I don’t think we have more than your “average” college. “Creeps and stalkers”–what the hell? I’ve never encountered anything like that (besides maybe a clingy hookup now and again, but I don’t think that’s unique to Stony Brook), and it’s certainly not anything I’d consider common at SB. Campus–personally, I like it a lot. Some of the buildings are amusingly ugly, but there are also a lot of parts of campus that are ridiculously gorgeous. I’ve heard the architecture is fairly similar to UB, but I wouldn’t know firsthand. </p>
<p>Our computer science program is academically awesome and also full of fun and interesting people. The undergrad CS club always wins the annual cardboard and duct tape boat race with things like a giant Mr. Potato Head that transforms from ninja to pirate to robot, a floating mock-up of old school Nintendo complete with people in costumes, and a giant duck.</p>
<p>Whether or not going away from home is worth the extra money is a very personal decision, but I’d hate to see you make it based on inaccurate information. If you have any specific questions about the social life at SBU, feel free to PM me or ask here.</p>
<p>If a gigantic tidal wave happened to hit Long Island and wash everything away, would it really be that bad?
Seriously, If you live in Buffalo and move to LI, you will experience some serious culture shock. Long Island kids basically exist on their own planet. I went to SUNY Albany, and there are thousands that go there. I couldn’t even imagine what their home planet is like.</p>
<p>Hey Pseudonym thanks for a more positive perspective…could you tell me something about the professors at SB…I hear good things about some of them but I also read something about half of the professors not being able to speak English and some other crap about them… and lol why is there a stonybrooksucks .com website? that really got me worried…
I know SB is very very diverse…sry for such a random question, but is there some sort of Russian community/club,etc at SBU?
thanks again</p>
<p>Hey Vegas, I’m a bit cautious to ask but could you elaborate about the Long Island kids please??</p>
<p>Ohwell-
Ignore Vegas’s post altogether. I wouldn’t judge LI from a guy who lives in the Vegas desert. There are many great communities and great people on the Island as there are in many places. Economically, LI is diverse as we know Buffalo is. </p>
<p>His comments are ridiculous. It’s like me saying that I can not send my LI son to Buffalo due to the culture shock of upstate kids. My first roommate (at an upstate SUNY) was right off the farm. Well she didn’t lived on one, but could have. She assumed all kids on LI were Jewish and even wrote me a letter the summer before our freshman year to tell me she knew a Jew. Yes, we were quite different, but she was nice and friendly (as was I and I grew up on LI!!!). Isn’t going to school about meeting other people. </p>
<p>SB has a great reputation in the SUNY system. If you meet the right kids and make friends, you will be happy no matter where you go to school. You should come visit soon and see how you feel about the area and campus. Living away from home is a great experience. At least you have UB to fall back on. (We are still deciding between UB and Bing here!!)</p>
<p>OHWELL-
Found this post by Vegassommelier which I quote:
“Even though I went to SUNY A, Believe me, I would have rather gone to NYU! (or Penn st, or Pace, or U Delaware… all schools I was excepted to…)”</p>
<p>Obviously he is not trying to get away from LI, the kids or culture as that can be found at all of these schools he mentions that he’d rather have gone to. (SUNY Albany is one school to avoid in my opinion.)</p>
<p>Yes, I think Long Island is a trash bin. I have been there many times, and just go to the shore during the summer if you want to see the type of sub-culture LI kids live in. A lot of over-privileged kids, a lot of steroid juice monkeys, a very high premium on material wealth and possessions, and extremely high cost of living. This does not speak for every kid on LI of course. It is just a prevalent theme that I have encountered from going to a college that had many, and being friends with many of them as well.
A childhood friend of mine moved to Buffalo, so I have visited there many times as well. It is slightly more wholesome and down to earth in comparison to Long Island. I also did not feel the inherent need to have Armani, Gucci and D & G clothing every time I went out in Buffalo as opposed to LI. Clothing labels are very important to LI people.
And, even though I went to SUNY Albany, I do believe Stony Brook to be a slightly better school academically in some aspects. (Definitely not for political science, which I went to school for) However, the student life is nowhere near what Albany had to offer. And I believe SUNY Buffalo to be better than both.
I grew up in the Hudson Valley, lived in Albany and NYC. I am not Long Island bashing for the sake of doing so. It is just the last place I would ever live or go to school. </p>
<p>And so what if I live in the desert? Summerlin (where I live outside Vegas), Scottsdale (outside Phoenix) and Sedona, AZ are some of the nicest communities in the country.
I have never seen a neighborhood cleaner than Summerlin anywhere in the country. I have more things to do within 15 to 20 minutes of my house than arguably anywhere else in the US. The best hiking & mountain biking, perfect weather fro 10 months out of the year, great restaurants, great golf courses, perfect tree lined streets in every direction…etc etc… (all of this before you even mention the Vegas strip)
Why I am justifying myself to someone who lives in the cesspool that is Long Island, I’ll never know.</p>
<p>I’ve never had a professor who didn’t speak English, and I’m about to graduate. There are definitely professors who aren’t native English speakers, but in my experience they’re certainly all proficient, and most are fluent–a lot of the “profs don’t speak English!” rumors are the result of xenophobic, racist stereotypes from people who assume someone is dumb if they have an unfamiliar accent. Pretty much the same situation with the TAs.</p>
<p>You may have noticed stonybrooksucks.com hasn’t been updated in a while. It was pretty old way back when I first saw it in 2004, too. It’s an out of date website that’s pretty useless IMO, except for needlessly scaring prospective students.</p>
<p>We definitely have Russians! I’m pretty sure there’s a Russian language/culture club that gets student government funding, but it’s not something I’ve ever been involved with. I did study abroad in St. Petersburg though, and through that I have a lot of friends whose families are from Russia/were born in Russia/are obsessed with Russia and travel there all the time. We even have a Russian language class specifically designed for native speakers who don’t have a formal Russian education, but learned as kids/from their families.</p>
<p>Vegas- your posts about LI, Syracuse, Binghamton and Buffalo all state waht dumps you think they are. It’s all a matter of preference. </p>
<p>LI was a great place for me to grow up (yes, in a privileged area with one of the top school districts in the state). Fortunately, everyone was nice and laid back. No pretentiousness, though I think that has changed over the years. I would not be happy there now, however, it is about as far away from a cesspool as you can dream. Large homes on manicured property, not far form beaches, top restaurants, etc. All great. </p>
<p>LI like much of the US is diverse and there certainly are better and worse areas. Don’t know where you’ve visited, but I live in a great community, great, educated kids, and a house/property most would love to live in. </p>
<p>To be so negative and generalize about so many areas is pretty disgusting of you. I doubt you are an expert on anything, just very opinionated. A community college kid, then off to party (in your words) at Albany and then off to Vegas. Wow, how impressive. </p>
<p>By the way, SB is not just “slightly” better than Albany. SB is not for me or my kids, but like I told the OP, there are many happy kids there. You must visit and see if you think it is for you. SB has a wonderful reputation academically.</p>
<p>Hey thank you guys for all of your unique perspectives…so I decided that if I receive the extra scholarship that I applied for at SB then I will definitely go to SB…if I dont, I will have to really think hard and probably visit SB for myself, </p>
<p>I feel that I will get a better education at SB but at the same time I will be more comfortable going to UB and saving money(idk if “comfortable” is what I want to be)- Ill have to decide that…</p>
<p>Remember, if at SB and you don’t like it, you can always transfer.</p>
<p>Also, if you go to UB you may be able to live on campus, or live off campus with friends at some point. UB is so reasonably priced for tuition. If you can swing it, you may like to live on campus or apt to get the full college experience. </p>
<p>My LI son may likely end up at UB for engineering/comp sci minor, so you may get to meet him. (Don’t be surprised when you see he is a great, nice, intelligent kid from LI!!)</p>
<p>Crazed… you must be a really bored housewife to launch that petty attempt at ripping my life apart. If you take my posts so personal that you felt compelled to go through my previous entries in order to culminate a rebuttal, well, you have a little too much time on your hands.
I am proud of what I have overcome in my life, and I am proud to be living in Vegas, making great money, and having a lot of fun in the process… I have lived in not only Albany, but Manhattan, Ft. Lauderdale, Napa Valley, and now Las Vegas. What were you doing when you were 30?
I found my way to this board to evaluate other peoples impressions of graduate schools… why are you here?
I’ll graduate with my MBA in May of '10, what do you have going on right now?
My applications go out for my PhD program in September and October… your future plans are really that much more interesting?
I could take it to a personal level, but it seems as though what I have previously said has some real truth to it as it pertains to your life, so I need not go further.
I feel that my personal position in life is not the best, but really not that bad either. I am far from perfect and all knowing, but I have been around for a little while and I know whats up… I have done what I have done, and I am not ashamed nor apologetic.
It does sound to me like you may be a little older than me (maybe 45 or older) and with a family… and in that case, you really have a little too much time on your hands.
And, in my best educated opinion, Long island is still a cesspool.</p>
<p>Vegas- Your attempt to go on to this thread to tell Ohwell that SB is awful and LI is a cesspool (and previous threads) that his hometown of Buffalo is a dump is infantile.</p>
<p>At 30 I would not be on this website as my life was too full for that.</p>
<p>Since you made the arrogant comments I will set the record straight. I had my masters degree at 22. By thirty was married to a wonderful and successful man, also with a graduate degree and have great sons. One was valedictorian of his high school and got a full ride to a private school. The other is now a senior in high school. Accepted to all the schools he applied to. This “housewife” is still working. Never stopped. I am in a healthcare field doing good things for others, especially the disabled. It is rewarding and I am not contributing to alcoholism. I joined CC to gain valuable information for my sons when they were searching for schools and since I do have experience and a parents prospective and wisdom, I happily share that with others seeking advice. I do not come here to put them down. What advice have you given? Everyone except you lives in a cesspool. You have lived in several places so we are to be impressed or better yet make us wonder why you can’t settle down? Did you bring valuable information to this thread at all? Look back at your posts on this thread. What advice have you given to the OP? None.</p>
<p>I happily have time on my hands to come to CC. Still helping others if I know anything of value for them and still gaining info for my son and his choices of schools. Why does a 30 yer old in grad school come on here? Certainly with all your knowledge you don’t need to look for help picking out grad schools for your PhD. You are already under the impression that you know it all. Shouldn’t you be in class, studying, working, or having a social life and dating? Isn’t facebook more interesting to you? I definitely have time on my hands to come to CC. You shouldn’t have the time or interest.</p>
<p>You ask “What do I have going for me?” Lots and lots. Friends, clubs, family, work, community service projects to help others. Time to read. Time for CC. Travel. Looking forward to my pool opening up. Let’s not forget enjoying my great kids. As they are older I have more free time. All wonderful things and all the things one hopes for. I am exactly where I should be at this time in my life. </p>
<p>You will see, or maybe not, that arrogance will get you nowhere in the real working world. And no, bartending and serving drinks to drunks in Vegas is not the “real world”. You have a lot of growing up to do. I hope you find a way to do it.</p>
<p>As the poster has made his decisions known and I am glad he did not listen to your supposed advice or putdowns) do not waste your time responding as no one cares what you have to say and I am moving on. I am on here for the OP, not you. </p>
<p>If you continue to post on CC, please do so in a positive manner and give the OP’s helpful advice.</p>
<p>I live within 5 minutes of SB and have taught there as an adjunct professor. I love the school. There is tremendous diversity on campus. </p>
<p>OP: You probably know this, but the campus is adjacent to the RR and you can get to NYC in under 2 hours.</p>
<p>I also teach full time at a LI CC. It is not filled with pretentious rich kids. We have underprivileged kids and immigrants and brilliant kids and not so brilliant kids.</p>
<p>I love LI. I love out East, where Stony Brook is, and it’s a half hour drive to farms.</p>
<p>And OP: Whichever college you choose I think the dorm experience is worth more than a trip to Europe. Just my opinion, but it’s great to get away from my and dad’s watchful eyes and find yourself.</p>
<p>I miss my own kids terribly, but I’m so glad they live at their schools and have this very gradual and enjoyable transition to adulthood.</p>
<p>I have a lot of respect for the SB science programs coming from LI and think it’s highly underrated.</p>
<p>HOWEVER</p>
<p>There are a lot of commuters there and there definitely is a significant amount of “weekend flight”. Is it enough to bring the school below a critical threshold needed to ensure there’s stuff worth doing out there on a Friday and Saturday night? Hard to say. However, it may be a problem.</p>
<p>My sister goes to UB and I’d say that the area around Stonybrook is certainly more affluent, but otherwise, pretty similar to UB. You’ll find similar access to restaurants, shopping, etc (need a car, but very easy to get to by car and plenty around).</p>
<p>I’m not sure that SB is worth 40k difference in price from UB, in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s not, however, that’s no knock to SB. It’d probably be worth looking for a cheap flight (sometimes 59 from Buff to JFK on Jetblue, so I’m sure you can find something similar Southwest to Islip) and trying to make it down to SB before making your final choice, but I’m not sure if that’s possible for you.</p>